Gripping means for fencing-droppers.



G. HUTCHINSON, GRIPPING MEANS FOR FENCING DROPPERS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1915,-

Ll83fi0fi. Patented May16,1916.

NIT %AE% GEORGE HUTOHINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO DONALD-HUTCHINSON PATENTS LIMITED, OF MASTEBTON, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW ZEALAND.

Original application filed December 19, 1913, Serial No. 807,757.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HUToHINsoN, citizen of the Dominion of New Zealand, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gripping Means for Fencing-Droppers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention, which was originally described in my application for Letters Patent filed on December 19th, 1913 under Serial No. 807 ,7 57 relates to gripping means for securing droppers in position upon fencing Wires such droppers being employed between the fencing standards or posts for the purpose of preventing spreading of the wires.

The object of the invention is to provide simple but very efficient means which may 20 be readily applied to the fence wire so as to grip tightly thereon and form a stop to prevent movement of the dropper along the fence wires.

The invention briefly consists of a gripping member, independent of the dropper, adapted to embrace the fence wire and cause a kink therein and also adapted to engage the dropper or a part rigid therewith to prevent the aforesaid movement of the dropper.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention and in which like parts are similarly lettered in the difierent views :Figure 1 is a front perspective elevation of the lower part of a dropper, showing a staple and Wire grip in position; Fig. 2 a sectional plan on A, A, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a front sectional elevation, the section being taken immediately in front of the fence wire; and Fig. 4- is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but illustrating another form of the wire grip.

The invention is shown applied to a dropper 1 of V-shaped cross section with edge flanges or wings 12 and 18 and a rounded end 7 said wings being at right angles to the fencing wires or set in toward each other. The object of these wlngs 1s to give increased strength to prevent buckling.

Holes 9 are punched near the edge for the reception of staples 15 or other fastenings which may be used for supporting the fence wire 14. Said wire (only one of which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916:.

Divided and this application filed February Serial No. 5,936.

shown in the drawings) passes through the loop of the staple 15 and the legs of said staple passing through a pair of the holes 9 and being bent around as shown in Fig.

2 to hold them rigidly in position.

The form of wire grip shown in Figs. 1 and 2 approximates to the shape of the letter S and has at one end a hook 16 which engages the fence wire. This hook is not essential, but facilitates the placing of the grip upon the wire. The members 17 18 and 19 are approximately parallel and are connected by the loops 20 and 21. The grip is made of 'wire of greater strength than the fence wire and (as shown in Fig. 3) the bottom of the member 18 is above the tops of the-members 17 and 19 a distance less than the diameter of the fencing wire so that when the grip is placed in position (with the staple 15 located between the members 18 and 19) one or more slight bends is or are produced in the fencing wire which efi'ectually prevents sliding of the grip along the wire.

The loop 21 may be made larger as shown in Fig. 4c and the grip may then be reversed and the loop 21 passed behind the dropper instead of in front of it, in which case the dropper itself and not merely the staple is imprisoned between the two parallel members 18 and 19.

"What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination a fence wire, a fencing dropper capable of sliding movement on said wire, a gripping member having three parts engaging said wire one such part eu- 9O gaging between the other two and on the opposite side of the wire so as to cause bending thereof, said member being formed of two loops one of which, together with the fence wire, surrounds the dropper, and a hook engaging the wire at the end of one of said loops, said loops also being in a general plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the wire is bent.

2. In combination a fencing dropper, a fence wire, and a gripping member having three parts engaging said wire and causing bending thereof, said member having a loop joining two of such parts, and said loop, together with the fence wire, surrounding a portion of the dropper and also being in a general plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the wire is bent.

3. In combination a fencing dropper, a fence wire, a support on said dropper engaged by said Wire and forming with the dropper an element capable of sliding movement on said wire, and a gripping member having three parts engaging said wire and causing bending thereof, said member having a loop joining two of such parts, and said loop, together with the fence wire, surrounding a portion of said sliding element and also being in a general plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the wire is bent. I

4. A detachable gripper for a fence wire, consisting of a member substantially S- shaped in plan having its end and middle portions lying transverse to the wire, the end portions engaging the fence wire on one side and the middle portion engaging the fence wire on the other side, and said memher being of a sufficient strength to cause bending of the fence wire, in a plane at right angles to the general plane of the S-shaped member, when forced into position.

5. A detachable gripper for a fence wire, consisting of a member having two portions adapted to engage the bottom of the Wire and a third portion adapted to engage the top of the wire intermediate thereof, the point of engagement of said third portion with the wire being lower than the top edge of the fence wire where the wire passes over the other portions, and said member being of a sufiicient strength to cause bending of the fence wire in a plane at right angles to the general plane of the member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HUTCHINSON.

Witnesses:

P. H. MOORE, H. R. KERsLAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

